Bowie adds stardust to South Bank

David Bowie has been a rock star, actor and internet entrepreneur. Now the 55-year-old master of reinvention is embarking on a new career: curator of Meltdown, a major arts festival.

The annual event at London's Festival Hall has established a reputation for staging some of the most eclectic artists of the day. Each year the programming is handed over to one curator, and Bowie is the highest profile figure yet to take up the baton. A source close to the singer said: 'He will have a hands-on role and is taking his responsibilities very seriously. He'll be personally choosing all the acts and will be putting his stamp on the event. David plans to use the opportunity to showcase some of the most cutting-edge acts around today.'

Last night Bowie said: 'I'm very excited about curating this year's Meltdown. Fans of the event are in for a few surprises.'

Details of who will appear are yet to be confirmed but Bowie 'hopes to use his contacts to attract some really big names', according to the source. The singer is close to many musicians such as Iggy Pop and Lou Reed, both of whom are being tipped for Meltdown this summer. Bowie, currently recovering from a severe bout of flu, is also expected to perform.

Meltdown was the brainchild of the contemporary composer George Benjamin, who was fascinated by the connections between different musical forms. Started nine years ago, previous curators have included Elvis Costello, Scott Walker, Nick Cave, Laurie Anderson and John Peel.

One of the most memorable Meltdown line-ups was Anderson's War Child Gala in 1997, featuring Philip Glass, Bill T. Jones, Robert Wilson, Lou Reed and Michael Nyman. Other artists to have appeared at Meltdown festivals include Damon Albarn, Tricky, Nina Simone and The Leningrad Cowboys.

Brixton-born Bowie, who now lives in New York with his ex-model wife Iman and their 18-month-old daughter Alexandria Zahra, is putting the finishing touches to a new album. It will be released on his own label later this year following his recent decision to part company with EMI.

Over the past 30 years the singer has been through an array of images, from Ziggy Stardust to the Thin White Duke, before becoming a mainstream superstar in the early Eighties with the success of the album Let's Dance. More recently Bowie, who is worth £100 million, has turned his hand to cyberspace, setting up an internet service provider, BowieNet, and BowieBanc, which issues its own credit cards.